"The Blues Brothers" Movie (1980)

A "The Blues Brothers" Movie (1980) is a musical action Americana countercultural generational defining movie.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) be directed by John Landis and starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as the characters Elwood and Jake Blues.
  • It can (typically) blend musical performances, action, and comedy, all centered around the two brothers trying to save the orphanage where they grew up.
  • It can (typically) be classified as a musical comedy film with strong elements of action and adventure.
  • ...
  • It can satirize White American Culture, particularly through exaggerated portrayals of authority figures and mainstream institutions.
  • It can celebrate African American Culture, particularly blues and soul, positioning black artists.
  • It can feature performances by legendary blues artists and soul artists, such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Ray Charles.
  • It can include American Blues (including Chicago Blues).
  • It can include Canadian comedy talent.
  • It can involve Car Chase Sequences.
  • It can draw on mission to "put the band back together."
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • the movie’s original preview screening in May 1980 in front of a select audience, showcasing the high-energy musical numbers and massive car chases for the first time.
  • the opening night on June 20, 1980, when the movie officially premiered across theaters in the U.S., marking the debut of its unique blend of music and comedy.
  • a 1981 re-release, driven by the growing cult following of the film after its initial box office run, leading to its spread in international markets.
  • the 25th anniversary theatrical re-release in 2005, which included restored footage and a special edition DVD release with behind-the-scenes features.
  • a 2024 revival screening in a theater, accompanied by a live blues band, showing the lasting appeal of the movie as part of a special anniversary celebration in Chicago.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Wayne's World, a 1992 comedy that also features a journey across Chicago, but with a focus on a fictional rock band rather than the blues scene.
  • O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which also involves a musical odyssey, but takes place in the American South and is based on Homer's Odyssey rather than urban blues culture.
  • Ghostbusters Movie, which stars Dan Aykroyd and focuses on supernatural comedy, diverging from the musical and blues-heavy focus of The Blues Brothers.
  • Rocky Horror Picture Show, another cult musical film, but centered around science fiction and horror themes, with a distinct focus on glam rock and audience participation.
  • Animal House Movie, also starring John Belushi, but focusing on college fraternity life and raunchy humor, rather than the musical and action themes of The Blues Brothers.
• See: John Landis Films, Dan Aykroyd, Chicago Blues, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin, Henry Gibson.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Brothers_(film) Retrieved:2024-9-29.
  • The Blues Brothers is a 1980 American musical action comedy film directed by John Landis. It stars John Belushi as "Joliet" Jake Blues and Dan Aykroyd as his brother Elwood, characters developed from the recurring musical sketch "The Blues Brothers" on NBC's variety series Saturday Night Live. The script is set in and around Chicago, Illinois, where it was filmed, and the screenplay is by Aykroyd and Landis. It features musical numbers by singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. It features non-musical supporting performances by Carrie Fisher and Henry Gibson.

    The story is a tale of redemption for paroled convict Jake and his blood brother Elwood, who set out on "a mission from God" to prevent the foreclosure of the Roman Catholic orphanage in which they were raised. To do so, they must reunite their R&B band and organize a performance to earn the $5,000 needed to pay the orphanage's property tax bill. Along the way, they are targeted by a homicidal "mystery woman", neo-Nazis, and a country and western band—all while being relentlessly pursued by the police.

    Universal Studios, which won the bidding war for the film, was hoping to take advantage of Belushi's popularity in the wake of Saturday Night Live, the film Animal House, and The Blues Brothers' musical success; it soon found itself unable to control production costs. The start of filming was delayed when Aykroyd, who was new to film screenwriting, took six months to deliver a long and unconventional script that Landis had to rewrite before production, which began without a final budget. On location in Chicago, Belushi's partying and drug use caused lengthy and costly delays that, along with the destructive car chases depicted onscreen, made the film one of the most expensive comedies ever produced.

    Owing to concerns that the film would fail, its initial bookings were less than half of those similar films normally received. Released in the United States on June 20, 1980, it received mostly positive reviews from critics and grossed over $115 million in theaters worldwide before its release on home video, and has become a cult classic over the years. A sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, was released in 1998. In 2020, The Blues Brothers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

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